Henry s



(Model) H. s. BURNS. Cartridge Crimping Machine. No. 231,480.

Paten ted Feb. .8, I881.

".PETERS, PHOTO LITHOGRAPHER WA HINGTON D C UNITED STATES PATENT trace.

HENRY S. BURNS, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE WIN- lHESTERREPEATING ARMS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CARTRIDGE-CRIMPING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 237,480, dated February8, 1881. Application filed July 26, 1880. (Model) To all whom it mayconcern:

Be it known that I, HENRY S. BURNS, of New Haven, in the county of NewHaven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement inMachines for Crimping Cartridges; and I do hereby declare the following,when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the lettersof reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the same, and which said drawings constitute part of thisspecification, and represent, in

Figure 1, a sectional side view 5 Fig. 2, a top or plan view; Fig. 3, asection through the crimping-die; Figs. 4, 5, and 6, views to illustratea modification of the machine.

This invention relates to an improvement in the manufacture of metalcartridges, with special reference to that part of the operationcommonly termed crimping-that is to say, turning the edge of the shellinward onto the bullet, so as to secure the bullet and shell together.

In the usualcrimping-machinesthe cartridges 2 are fed to the machinesingly by the hand of the operator.

The object of this invention is the adoption of a method andconstruction of a machine by which the cartridges may be delivered in a301112188 to the machine and automatically fed, so that severalcartridges may be operated upon at the same time; and the inventionconsists in the construction as hereinafter described, and particularlyrecited in the claims.

As illustrated in the drawings, A represents an upright which forms thesupport for the operating mechanism. B is the bed or floor, which issupported in a vertical bearing, C, so as to be rotated as hereinafterdescribed. Cen- 0 'trally through the floor B is a vertical shaft, D,which preferably extends downward through bearings D D and rests on astep, D but so that it may revolve independent of the floor B. Above, orresting on the floor, is a disk,

5 E, which is attached to and so as to revolve with the shaft D.Revolution is imparted to the shaft D by means of power applied througha beveled pinion, a, working into acorresponding gear, a, on the shaftD, and from the shaft D revolution is communicated to the floor B bymeans of a pinion, b, on the shaftD, work ing into a gear, I), on avertical counter-shaft supported in a bearing, F, and carrying a pinion,N, which works into a corresponding gear,

b on the floor, as seen in Fig. 1. The propor' 5 tion of the severalgears 12 b b b is such that the floor B is caused to revolve at a lessvelocity than the disk E, forthe purpose which will more fullyhereinafter appear.

The edge of the disk E, in transverse section, corresponds in shape,substantially, to one half-section of the cartridge, as seen in Fig.3-that is to say, so as to leave a groove,

d, between the disk and floor corresponding to the flange of the head ofthe cartridge; thence upward, following the line of the body of theshell 0 of the cartridge and of the bullet f, to the center, as seen inFig. 3. At one side, and in the same plane with the disk, is asegmentshaped die, H, the edge of which facing the edge of the diskcorresponds to the opposite side of the cartridge, (see Fig. 3,) theupper edge of the die H substantially meeting the upper edge of the diskE, as at It.

On the face of the die H, and in a line corresponding to the upper ormonth end of the shell 6, is a rib, "i, which projects inward toward theface of the disk E, as seen in Fig. 3.

If cartridges of the size corresponding to the space between the diskand die be placed head down upon the floor B, they will, by therevolution of the floor B, be carried into the space between the diskand die, conducted thereto by a guide, L, and when the first cartridgearrives in the space the revolving disk E engages with its one side,while the die H takes the opposite side, and then, as the revolution ofthe disk continues, the cartridges will be revolved or rolled betweenthe disk and die, and in such revolution the rib i will strike the metalof the shell at the mouth and force it inward annularly around the shellinto the metal of the bullet, forming what is called the crimp, andthereby securing the bullet to the shell.

Preferably the rib 6 extends over only a portion of the length of thedie H--as, for instance, the central portion, Hleavin g a space throughwhich the cartridges will revolve before they reach the rib t Hence, itthe bul- 100 lets be not driven into the shell to the proper extent,they will be forced down to that proper extent by coming in contact withthe upper portion or top of the space between the die and disk, so thata standard length and uniformity of the cartridges will be the result.The disk and die, bearing as they do upon the surface of the shell andbullet, prevent any possible bulging of the metal in consequence of thecrimping operation, so that the cartridges passing from between the diskand die must be perfectly uniform throughout.

The floor B is made to revolve at a less velocity than the disk E, sothat as each cartridge is taken between the disk and die an acceleratedforward movement is given to it, taking it away from the next cartridge,which prevents the possibility of the cartridges coming in contact witheach other while passing through the crimping operation.

In some classes of cartridges the bullet is inserted into the mouth ofthe shell until the mouth reaches onto the reduced portion of thebullet. In this case the mouth of the shell is to be crimped onto thebullet. This requires a curvature extending from the mouth toward thehead, as between the broken lines, Fig. 4. In crimping this class ofshells, if the rib be of a height and shape corresponding to the curverequired, the result will be a fulling or stretching of the metal, andnot producing the crimp. Therefore, for this class of crimping, the ribis arranged inclined to the floor, as seen in Fig. 5, the highest point,2, beingjust at the mouth of the shell, and where it is first takenbetween the disk and die, its lowest point, 3, corresponding to thelowest point in the curve or crimp. The rib should gradually run fromthe extreme projection at the point 2 to nothing or no projection at thepoint 3, as seen in Fig. 16. (It will be understood that Figs. 5 and 6are exaggerated representations.)

Preferably a table, P, is arranged at one side of the floor and on thesame plane with it, onto which a mass of cartridges may be set withbeads downward and pressed forward by the operator onto the floor B asthey are taken away by it and the revolving disk; or, instead, therevolving floor B may be stationary, and a common friction-feed withguides may be applied, in place of the table P, to deliver thecartridges to the mouth or space between the die and disk. The rib t'may be in a corresponding position on the disk and not on the die, or itmay be on both; or the rib i may be dispensed with entirely, when thedisk and die, owing to their peculiar shape, as before described, willbring the bullets and shells into their proper relative shape andproduce perfect uniformity of size and shape.

I do not broadly claim a revolving disk and segment-shaped die with afloor, either revolving or stationary, and either the disk or die, orboth, provided with a rib or ribs, as I am aware that such aconstruction has been employed in bullet-grooving machines; but

What I do claim is l. The herein-described improvement in the method ofsecuring the bullets in metallic cartridges, consisting in passing thecartridges, after the bullets have been inserted, between a stationarysegment-shaped die and a correspondin g revolving disk, which togethercause the cartridges to revolve at the same time a rib on one or both ofthe said die and disk turns or crimps the edge of the shell annularlyinto the surface of the bullet, substantially as described.

2. In a machine for crimping cartridges, the combination of a floorupon. which the heads of the cartridges ride or rest, a stationarysegment-shaped die, and a corresponding revolving disk arranged to leavea space or groove at the floor for the flange of the cartridgeshell, thesaid disk and die to take the cartridge and impart to it a revolution asit passes between said die and disk, and the said die or disk, one orboth, provided with a rib arranged to turn the metal of the shellannularly in upon the bullet, substantially as described.

3. In a machine for crimping cartridges, the combination of a floor uponwhich the heads of the cartridges ride or rest, a stationarysegment-shaped die, and a corresponding revolving disk arranged to leavea space or groove at the floor for the flange of the cartridgeshell, thesaid disk and die to take the cartridge and impart to it a re olution asit passes between said die and disk, the said floor arranged to revolvein the same direction as the disk, but at a slower rate of revolution,and the said die or disk, one or both, provided with a rib arranged toturn the metal of the shell annularly in upon the bullet, substantiallyas described.

4. In a machine for crimping cartridges, the combination of a floor uponwhich the heads of the cartridges ride or rest, a stationarysegment-shaped die, and a corresponding revolving disk arranged to leavea space or groove at the floor for the flange of the cartridgeshell, andshaped in vertical section so that the space between the disk and diecorresponds to the longitudinal section of the complete cartridge,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. in a machine for crimping cartridges, the combination of the floorupon which the heads of the cartridges ride or rest, a stationarysegment-shaped die, and a corresponding revolving disk, said die anddisk, one or both, provided with a rib inclined to the plane of thefloor, substantially as described.

HENRY S. BURNS.

Witnesses:

T. G. BENNETT, DANIEL H. VEADER.

